Upright piano



(NO Model) 0. WISSNEB. UPRIGHT PIANO.

vN0. 582,569. Patented May 11,1897,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO VISSNER, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

UPRIGHT PlANO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 582,569, dated May 11,1897.

Application fil d February 20, 1897. $eriul No. 624,364. No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO ISSNER, a citi zen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Upright Pianos, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of this invention is to effect certain advantageousarrangements of pianobridges; and the invention resides in the novelfeatures of construction set forth in the following specification andclaims and illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 isafront elevation of piano strings and bridges. Fig. 2 is a sectionalside elevation of Fig. 1.

The piano-strings 1 extend from studs 2 on string-plate 3 between thepins 4: on bridge 5, attached to the front face of sounding-board 0.From pins 4 the strings extend under the lower bridge 7 and thenceforwardly and upwardly over bridge 8. The wrest-plank 9 has pins 10,about which the strings are wound in the usual manner.

The upper bridge 8 extends from or forms part of an angle-plate 11 and12, the part 12 of which overlaps or extends past an edge of thewrest-plank 9. The hammer 13 strikes the string 1 below bridge 7, andthis bridge is placed close to the hammer or hammer path, the side orbridge-face let which lies toward the hammer being curved or formed tocorrespond to the swing or motion of the hammer, and also to the hammershape.

The sounding-board 6 extends to or abuts against the lower edge ofwrest-plank 9, and said sounding-board is secured to the overlappingpart 12 of the angle-plate 11 and 12. Screws or fastenings 15 serve tosecure the sounding-board. This angle-plate sustains the bridge 8 clearof or below the wrest-plank, and no strain from the bridge Sis broughtto bear on the sounding-board, thus leaving the sounding-board free andunobstructed in its vibration by any strain from the bearing or pressureof the strings on the upper bridge 8.

An advantage of having the hammer 13 strike close to the bridge '7 orpass close by the bridge-face 14 is that thereby a brilliant tone can besecured under certain circumstances, as, for example, at thetreble-strin gs.

By having the sounding-board extended up to the wrest-plank or pin-block9 and secured to angle or plate part 12 an increased sounding-boardsurface or vibrating surface is obtained, imparting to the tone of thepiano much greater volume and purity.

lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A piano or stringed instrument provided with a lower bridge engagingthe front faces of the strings above the hammers, a wrestplank, an upperbridge engaging the rear faces of the strings and having an an gle-platemade to overlap the wrest-plank and to sustain the upper bridge clear ofor below said wrest-plank, and a sounding-board extended beyond saidbridges and secured to the overlapping part of the bridge-platesubstantially as described.

2. A piano or stringed instrument provided with a lower bridge engagingthe front faces of the strings above the hammers, a wrestplank, an upperbridge engaging the rear faces of the strings and having an angle-platemade to overlap the wrest-plank and to sustain the upper bridge clear ofor below said wrest-plank, and a sounding-board extended beyond saidbridges and secured to the overlapping part of the bridge-plate, saidlower bridge being placed close to the hammer and having its hammerfacing side curved or rounded to correspond to the swing and shape ofthe hammer substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

OTTO WISSNER.

\Vitnesses:

F. H. KING, E. F. KAsTENHL'BER.

